A “historic breakthrough in arms trade” between AUKUS defence pact partners the UK, US and Australia was announced by the UK Ministry of Defence on 15 August 2024, following groundbreaking changes to export controls between the three countries.

The reforms “will enable all three nations to work more closely together to develop next-generation technologies, compete with adversaries and support interoperability in the Indo-Pacific,” the Defense Department said.

The ministry expects the reforms – which will remove certain export controls and restrictions on technology sharing – to affect up to £500 million (€586 million) worth of British arms exports each year, as well as billions of dollars worth of trade between all three countries.

The announcement was made through the publication of the UK’s AUKUS Nations Open General Licence, coupled with a new exemption from the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) for the UK and Australia, and new national exemptions for the UK and US under Australian export controls. The measures will remove licensing requirements for the export and sharing of certain defence products, including advanced capabilities, technical data and defence services. Together, the changes will enable AUKUS partners to significantly reduce barriers to defence trade and technology sharing, and enable faster and more efficient collaboration between scientists, engineers and defence companies.

The Defense Department noted that the measures will “benefit all three nations and help realize the full economic, innovation and security potential of AUKUS.”

The August 15 announcement followed bilateral meetings between British Defence Secretary John Healey and his US and Australian counterparts in July. Healey met with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin at the NATO summit in Washington, DC and was a guest of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles in Sheffield.

Healey was quoted by the Ministry of Defence as saying: “This is a breakthrough that will enable our three nations to deepen our cooperation in defence technology and trade. Our new government will strengthen the UK’s role in AUKUS to enhance Britain’s military capabilities and economic growth.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the announcement “shows how AUKUS is taking our relationship with the US and Australia to an even greater level.”

“By reducing barriers to trade and defence cooperation, we are opening up enormous opportunities for jobs and growth in the UK, while strengthening global security and stability,” he added.